


Girls' Night In

by BeeAnka



Series: Sing Me A Song Of Despair Side Stories: Friends [6]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Girls supporting each other? It's more likely than you think, Implied/Referenced Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 14:49:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15776283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeeAnka/pseuds/BeeAnka
Summary: Mikan has her first sleepover.





	Girls' Night In

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe this took me so long! (I was going to post this about two weeks ago but then I was never satisfied with it and had to change things) At least I've finally managed to finish it now! 
> 
> Well, if I can't update the main story when I'd like to, at least I can update with side stories. I think they add to the relationships within the main story a lot, so I don't consider them much less important than main story chapters. It's also nice to get a break from the depressing stuff that's happening in the main story right now.
> 
> It's Mikan and Sayaka this time! I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This story takes place during 'Lament' and 'Chant'.
> 
> Edit: Oh, wow? This has over 10,000 words? I've just realized. I hate myself.

* * *

 

Mikan frantically scrolls through the search results on her phone, glancing at the time every few seconds.

She doesn't have very long left until the time of her death.

Well, maybe that's a little bit overdramatic, but how else can she think of having a sleepover with Maizono Sayaka? She is everything that terrifies Mikan about girls: beautiful, extroverted, playful... and they're about to be alone in a room together. For _hours_.

She just had to tell the other girl that she's never had a sleepover! She's grateful that Maizono wants her to experience that, yet the thought of actually doing the thing sounds just way too stressful! It gives her anxiety just thinking about sitting with Maizono on a bed, her brain utterly fried as she tries in vain to think of the right thing to say while she's being looked at with... _expectations_. Once she opens her mouth, she'll just embarrass herself. She'll say something weird or inappropriate! Or she'll clam up, unable to get a single word out!

And then, despite all of her kindness until now, Maizono will call her an ugly freak, laugh at her, and tell all of the others to stay away from her! While Asahina and Naegi are always nice to her, they will surely listen to their closer friend. Mukuro will as well, considering her feelings for Maizono.

Mikan wouldn't blame any of them, of course. But it would still hurt.

She enjoys those lunch breaks she spends with Mukuro, Maizono, Asahina, and Naegi. Since they're five people in total, the attention is almost never focused on just her and she can stay comfortably quiet. The others do involve her in the conversation all the time, but honestly... that's kind of a nice feeling, even if it gets awkward sometimes. It helps that they're all so patient. While eating lunch with Komaeda is also nice, she really, really doesn't want to stop spending time with Mukuro's friend group.

She can't just cancel the thing either, can she? Maizono seemed to really look forward to it. For some reason. Could it be that she... no, no.

Shaking her head furiously, Mikan admonishes herself for thinking like that of her friend. Which Maizono is! Maizono wouldn't do that kind of thing, wouldn't play a cruel prank on her. She's really nice! They've been talking a lot to each other about stuff and she hasn't said even one mean thing! There is teasing sometimes, but it's not the cruel kind.

Mikan sighs. This isn't a good time for doubt. She has something to do.

She looks at her phone again.

Her Google search about what to do at sleepovers isn't really helping much. She's sure Maizono will come up with most ideas anyway. What she's worried about is the talking part. Ugh, the talking part. Just the two of them, all alone! What is she supposed to say?! Maizono is a popular celebrity, a social butterfly! How can she talk to such a person? It's going to be so awkward! She's not good at talking to people in the first place! It's fine in the group and when it's over texts, but in real life? Just the two of them? It's... an intimidating thought. She has no experience with that kind of thing.

The only people she really speaks to outside of lunch break and texts are Mukuro and Komaeda. They're both easy to talk to. Mukuro is naturally quiet and she's always easy to follow. Komaeda isn't as quiet and easy to follow, but he never expects answers and just seems to naturally assume that she knows what he's talking about. Most of the time he gets caught up in praising her or someone else for basically no reason anyway... well, that might be kind of an exaggeration. He really isn't _that_ odd once you get to know him and actually listen to him.

Maizono is extremely nice to her and they talk a lot over texts, but that's just not the same. Over texts, Mikan can carefully think of what to type first. She won't panic due to being quiet for too long and just blurt out something weird. During lunch break, the conversation is always light and its pacing is quick. It's easy to just give a standard answer or say something vague when she doesn't know what to say and move on. Being alone with-

Mikan squeaks when her phone suddenly starts beeping. Oh, right! She's set an alarm so she wouldn't be late! When she looks at her phone though, it's not the alarm notification she sees.

It's her mother.

Mikan winces. Now? Really? Why does her mother have to call her _now_? It's the worst possible time.

A part of her doesn't want to answer the phone, but she knows that's not going to solve anything. Her mother will just be upset about it later. Closing her eyes, she accepts the call. "Hello, mother!" She says, forcing herself to smile.

 _"Good evening, pumpkin!"_ Mother greets her back cheerily. _"How are you doing? You haven't called me in a while again. I got worried."_

"I'm sorry, mother. I'm fine. I've just been busy with school." Mikan says. The lie leaves a bitter aftertaste in her mouth, but she can't just say out loud why she's been in even less of a mood to talk to her mother than usually. A part of her does uncomfortably understand why -- although she's not sure she could express it in words even if she wanted to --  yet she always quickly represses the thought. The less she thinks about Mukuro and her sister, the better.

 _"With your... talent?"_ The word sounds as disapproving as it always does. Although sometimes she pretends to be supportive, Mother never entirely hides her distaste for Mikan's profession.

Still, despite her mother's disapproval, Mikan perks up a bit. Being able to give good news is nice. "Yes, mother. The teachers actually think I've made great pro-"

 _"That's nice, pumpkin."_ Mother cuts her off. _"But can you... not talk about this? You know I get uncomfortable with that medical stuff."_

"Right." Mikan mumbles, her cautious enthusiasm deflating. "I'm sorry. I just... wanted to say that my teachers are happy with my progress."

 _"Well, I'm sure you're doing the best you can."_ Mother says. Mikan can practically see the small, thin smile on her face. _"Speaking of school, how about your real grades? I hope wasn't interrupting anything? Were you studying or doing your homework?"_

"I've already done my homework and studied today, mother. Um, you weren't interrupting anything, but I'm about to spend time with a f-friend." Even though it's true, Mikan feels like she's telling some sort of lie. She hopes her mother hasn't noticed the short stutter.

_"That's my Mikan! Always working hard! I really hope you can do better than last year... but let's not dwell on that, okay?"_

"Yes. I'm sorry, mother..." Mikan mutters. If her mother doesn't want her to dwell on it, why does she keep bringing it up? It's not like her grades were _terrible_. She's not really a bad student either, really. She mostly gets mediocre results in tests because they make her nervous and she can't concentrate well.

 _"Oh, it's okay. What were you saying? You're spending time with a friend? That's nice. Is it one of those people you eat your lunch with? What are you going to do?"_ Mother asks.

"Yes, it's one of the girls I eat lunch with. Maizono-san. She invited me for a sleepover."

 _"Oh, the singer?"_ The slight disapproval in Mother's tone causes Mikan to shift uncomfortably. _"Why do you think she invited you?"_

"I told her that I never had a sleepover before. She felt bad for me, so she invited me to one..." Mikan admits. She grimaces when she realizes how that sounds. The way she put that makes the whole thing sound... pathetic. But it's not strictly speaking false, is it?

 _"... Are you sure you want that, pumpkin?"_ Mother asks. She sighs, like what she's about to say will pain her. _"You know girls like that Maizono Sayaka. She's just going to play a cruel prank on you. Why else would she invite you?"_

"I don't think Maizono-san is like that..." Mikan protests. She doesn't want to talk back to her mother, but she feels like she is obligated to defend Maizono. "We talk a lot over text messages. She's really kind."

Again, Mother sighs. _"She's a female singer, pumpkin. They're all nice on the surface, but deep down they're hyenas who want to tear other girls apart. You should never trust some vapid, pretty girl who acts nice to you. Remember Akira-chan? She was nice to you until she shoved you in a puddle on that school trip! Then she apologized and invited you to her home, but that was only to boss you around and make you do her chores! And then she started bullying you at school when she got bored of that!"_

Mikan feels a surge of shame. She was thinking of just that before her mother called, was making a comparison between that cruel girl and her friend. She remembers her mother consoling her anytime Akira had been especially cruel. She remembers her mother telling her not to trust anyone 'like Akira' who tries to be nice to her. It's possible that Maizono will play a cruel prank on her, but... it's also possible that she really just wants to have fun together. In spite of her earlier thoughts, Mikan isn't sure she wants to risk the latter anymore. "Um, I did think about Maizono-san being cruel... but I have a good feeling about it. I think I'll risk it." She murmurs her words carefully, to not make it sound like outright disagreement.

 _"If you say so. Well, I do hope you're right. But just remember: I warned you. I looked her up when you first mentioned her, and I don't like what I saw. I think she's a bad influence, pumpkin."_ Mother mutters, as if Maizono's looks could somehow express her personality.

Even though she knows she won't like the answer, Mikan nonetheless asks: "What do you mean?"

_"Well, the way she dresses up. Her costumes. The way she dances on stage, how she spreads those legs. I bet she's spread them more than once in private too. A few years ago, you'd call that kind of girl a slut. Now it's 'idol', apparently."_

Mikan gapes, unsure of how to even respond to this. Her face warming up, she says: "Mother, pl-please don't talk like that about my friends. Maizono-san is really kind. I don't think it's... it's not nice to talk about her like that..." She winces when she realizes she's stuttered again.

 _"I'm just trying to look out for you, pumpkin."_ Mother says softly. _"I don't want my Mikan to be influenced by some dirty girl. You're right just the way you are, okay? Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."_

"M-Maizono-san is n-not-"

 _"You're stuttering."_ Mother interrupts, her kind voice shifting to something far more cold. _"Didn't you tell me you were going to work on that, Mikan? You're nineteen years old."_

Mikan freezes. Taking a deep breath, she says: "I'm sorry... I've gotten better, I promise. I just... I just get nervous sometimes..."

_"Well, there is no need to get nervous with me. I'm your mother."_

"I'm sorry..."

_"Are you still taking those... fighting lessons?"_

"Yes... I have my next one tomorrow."

 _"Well, I do hope it isn't eating into your study time."_ Mother clicks her tongue, and Mikan can practically see the exasperated shaking of her head. _"I don't see the sense in it. If anyone attacked you, fighting back would just make things worse."_

Mikan closes her eyes, chewing on her lower lip. She really doesn't want to have this discussion again. "Even if that's true, it makes me feel safer... and the lessons are a lot of fun. Mukuro-san is a good teacher."

 _"If you say so."_ Mother already made her thoughts on Ikusaba Mukuro abundantly clear the first time Mikan had brought her up. 'A violent delinquent.' She described her as without listening to Mikan's -- admittedly half-hearted -- protests at all.

"I do." Mikan snaps before she can control herself. Immediately, she slaps her hand over her mouth, but it's too late.

 _"... Are you talking back to me, Mikan?"_ Mother asks, more confused than anything else.

"N-No, I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to!" Mikan says, already feeling sweat on her forehead.

 _"Is that so?"_  Mother asks in a low voice. _"Only bad girls talk back to their mothers, Mikan. Are you a bad girl?"_

As if her mother could somehow see it, Mikan furiously shakes her head. "No, mother! I'm a good girl, I promise! P-Please forgive me!"

There is a long pause. Mikan tries her best to keep her breathing even. Finally, Mother says: _"I'm just trying to look out for you, Mikan. Yet you've done nothing but scorn my advice."_

"I wasn't t-trying to do that! Please forgive me!"

_"You've kept not calling me on your own for weeks now, you've been acting more short and sometimes downright moody with me. Ever since meeting those friends of yours! Is your mother not worth your time anymore, Mikan?"_

"Th-That's not it-"

_"Stop stuttering! You're not a toddler anymore!"_

Mikan already feels the tears coming. It's always like this when her mother raises her voice at her. Suppressing the futile urge to throw the phone away and curl up under her blanket, she swallows. "Please forgive me..." She croaks.

 _"Pumpkin,"_ Mother audibly breathes through her nose, most likely trying to calm herself. _"I just want you to be careful with your new friends, okay? Don't trust them too much. You know what always happens when you trust anyone but your mother, don't you?"_

Mikan sniffles, calming down a bit. "Yes..." She says tonelessly.

_"Well, I see it upsets you when I speak frankly. I'll try to be more careful with my words from now on, okay? But pumpkin, you have to stop being so sensitive. No one in the real world is going to coddle you like this."_

"... My friends do."

_"Hm?"_

"They... they're really kind and patient with me. That's... actually why I've improved a bit, I think?" Mikan smiles to herself in spite of her anxiety from talking about this to her mother. "It really helps to be around people who aren't mean about it and don't judge me..."

Mother is quiet for a few seconds. _"I see,"_ she says eventually. _"Well, you have some very tolerant friends! I'm happy for you!"_

 _'You don't sound like it.'_ Mikan thinks to herself, her smile getting a bit strained. Out loud, she says: "Thank you, mother."

_"Not that they're doing you any favors, mind you. It's patronizing to be coddled. It's like they think you're an infant who needs special treatment."_

Mikan grips her phone tightly, a feeling in her chest that's somewhere between anger and hurt. "I-I don't-"

 _"Oh, I think I ought to leave you alone now."_ Mother interrupts. _"Just look at the time! I'm sure you've had enough of your fussy mother for today, hm?"_ Mother laughs lightly. Not giving her a chance to answer -- though it's not like Mikan would know what to say -- she adds: _"Have fun with your... friend. Bye bye, pumpkin!"_

"Goodbye, mother." Mikan says, feeling a surge of irritation at her mother's hesitance before saying the word 'friend'. It's immediately replaced by the relief that rushes through her when the call is ended though.

She lets her phone fall onto her bed, her negative feelings dulling slowly, then follows its example. Laying on her stomach, she exhales deeply. This call was much worse than the previous one. Her mother's tone doesn't usually get so cold. She isn't usually speaking in a loud voice either. Well, not over the phone anyway...

Picking her phone up again, Mikan looks at the time.

She yelps. She's already two minutes late!

Grabbing her already prepped bag on the side of the bed while simultaneously stuffing her phone into her breast pocket, Mikan gets up from her bed and rushes towards her dorm room door... before abruptly stopping. She breathes deeply. In and out, in and out, in and out.

"Y-You can do this!" Mikan says to herself. Right! If Mukuro can talk to Maizono on a daily basis, why not her too?! Yes! She can totally do this!

... She just needs to grab the door handle and open the door.

Swallowing, Mikan does just that. When she steps out of the door, she closes it behind her, a sense of dread enveloping her when the door shuts. There is no turning back now.

Well, she could just open the door again... but no! No turning back! She will do this!

The hallway is as empty and quiet as one would expect it to be on a Saturday evening. Still, Mikan feels exposed here. It feels kind of wrong to be out so late, even though it's not late enough for it to be against the rules yet.

Slowly and carefully, she makes her way through the hallway to the stairs. The students of Class 78 are on the ground floor, which means all she has to do is walk down those stairs and she'll be basically at Maizono's door already. It'd be bad if anyone saw her though -- they'd probably ask her why she was out that late -- so she continues her slow, sneaky walk.

After going down the stairs, Mikan peeks around the corner. There's no one there, luckily enough. Which one is Maizono's door again?

The first room she checks belongs to someone called 'Ishimaru'. Isn't that Class 78's class president? She's pretty sure she's seen Nanami talk to him in the hallway sometimes. Well, it was mostly him speaking to her in a very loud voice while Nanami had an obviously zoned out look on her face. On the opposite is a room that belongs to a 'Kirigiri'. That's the headmaster's name, isn't it? Moving on, there's Naegi's name next to the door! Finally, someone she actually knows personally! To a degree. Opposite of him is 'Oowada', which is not a name she's familiar with at all. Next to that one is 'Togami', who is probably related to those corporation people or whoever they are. Isn't there another one in this school with that name too? On that room's opposite there's... Maizono!

Mikan immediately feels the sweat on her forehead again. She can do this, she can do this, she can do this...

She practically punches Maizono's doorbell, suppressing a pained yell afterwards. She lightly blows on her hand while waiting for the other girl to open her door.

When Maizono does open the door, her bright smile both makes Mikan feel more at ease and more nervous. Somehow. "Good evening, Tsumiki-senpai!" Maizono chirps. "Do you wanna come in?" She steps away from the door, giving Mikan ample room to walk by.

"G-Good evening, Maizono-san!" Mikan squeaks. "I'm sorry I'm l-late! Pardon my- my intrusion!"

The first thing Mikan notices when she enters Maizono's room is that it's very... pink. Maybe even a bit too much, but it makes the room feel relaxing and pleasant. Everything is neat and tidy too. Compared to that, her own room is rather sparse. She certainly doesn't have two couches. Or stuffed animals laying around on the bed and the shelves.

The room is reminiscent of Maizono's talent too. There are albums of various idol groups on the shelves, a bunch of small models of musical instruments, and a few framed awards that Maizono has presumably won together with her bandmates.

Just another reminder that Mikan is alone in a room with an actual celebrity. Anxiety slowly builds up inside of her again.

Mikan almost squeaks when the celebrity in question suddenly walks past her. "Do you want some juice?" Maizono asks over her shoulder, already opening her small fridge. "I have at least a dozen of different flavors!"

It'd be rude to decline, wouldn't it? "Th-That would be nice." Mikan affirms, trying her hardest to appear composed. She probably doesn't do a good job at it, considering she's standing stiffly in the middle of the room. _'Just don't panic. Stay calm. Be polite.'_ She thinks to herself.

"Hmmm." Maizono hums to herself. Mikan prepares herself for giving a reply, resolving not to stutter anymore. "Do you want apple-"

"Yes, thank you!" Mikan blurts out.

There is a short, awkward silence. Sweat gathers on Mikan's forehead again, but Maizono merely looks back at her with a small smile. "You sure are enthusiastic for apple juice!" She marvels. "One can, coming right up!"

"Th-Thank you!" Mikan squeaks once more, glad that Maizono has no issue with awkward situations. It makes sense. There are probably a lot of fans who make things awkward for Maizono sometimes, so she has to be good at dealing with that kind of thing. She's not sure she wants to compare herself to an embarrassing fan, though.

After kicking her small fridge shut, Maizono walks towards her couches. "Come on, Tsumiki-senpai! Sit down!"

"Thank you!" Mikan looks uncertainly between the couches while she approaches them. Should she sit on the empty left one or the right one where Maizono is sitting? Maizono might find the former option to be rude, but the latter option too familiar!

Before she can make a choice though, Maizono speaks up. "Don't you wanna change first? You're still in your school uniform. There are night clothes in your bag, right?"

"Y-Yeah!" Mikan says, blushing in embarrassment. She's totally forgotten about that part, absurdly enough. Maizono is already wearing night clothes herself: a bubblegum pink shirt and hot pink pants. "Um, please excuse me!" She rushes to Maizono's bathroom. She kind of wanted to change in her room, since the thought of undressing in another person's room -- even if it's just the bathroom -- stresses her out, but walking through the dorms in her pajamas would be even more stressful. What if anyone saw her like this?!

Once the door to the bathroom is closed, Mikan breathes a little easier. She nearly falls over while frantically undressing herself, but for once manages to stay on her feet without having Mukuro around to catch her. Once she's done and has her school uniform stuffed at the bottom of her bag, she looks into Maizono's mirror and fixes her hair. Well, whatever she's able to fix anyway. Her hair is always an ugly mess. Then, she looks herself over. She's basically wearing what Maizono is wearing, except both her shirt and her pants are a dark purple. It's the same color as her hair, now that she thinks about it.

When she's reasonably satisfied with how she looks, which isn't really all that satisfied at all, she steps out of the bathroom again.

Maizono has already decided Mikan's seat, it seems. The apple juice is very close to where Maizono is sitting right now, which must mean she wants them to sit right next to each other. That makes it easier to talk, so Mikan supposes it makes sense.

"Purple makes you look even prettier than usually, Tsumiki-senpai! It suits you!" Maizono compliments as Mikan sits down next to her. "Is there a chance your favorite flowers are violets?"

"I don't think I really have a f-favorite flower, but violets are pretty..." Mikan replies, setting her bag down next to the couch and trying her best to ignore Maizono's other comment. If she didn't, her already warm cheeks would surely burst into flames. Ugh, she's thinking about it right now! _'Maizono-san called me pretty?!'_ Not even a minute in and she already feels like she can't do this! She needs something to drink!

Mikan grabs her can of apple juice on the nearby table and downs it one go. Afterwards, she puts it back on the table, but uses so much force that it's practically a slam. Maizono is noticeably startled by it, judging from the way she jumps. Mikan suppresses a wince.

"The- the juice was good." She squeaks, her face burning.

"You sure were thirsty!" Maizono says, taking a tiny sip from her own can of juice. "Hey, speaking of flowers, what do you think about sunflowers?" Thankfully, Maizono is really good at pretending awkward moments didn't happen.

Mikan almost sighs in relief. Maizono is such a nice person. Now more calm than before, Mikan answers: "They're pr-pretty as well." Although not exactly to her taste, if she's honest. She prefers flowers that look less bright and happy. Those kinds of flowers suit someone like Maizono, though.

"Good! They're one of my favorites!" Maizono says, confirming Mikan's thought. "You know which other flowers are great too? Orchids, chrysanthemums, asters, forget-me-nots, dahlias-" Maizono interrupts herself with a yawn. "Oh, sorry. It's been a long day at the studio."

"Mukuro-san told me you... you had to stay all day. Being an idol must be a lot of w-work." Mikan says, giving her friend a sympathetic look.

"Well, those songs won't sing themselves!" Maizono declares. She giggles. "But yeah, it tends to be a lot of work. I'd rather have spent this afternoon with Mukuro-san. At least she had fun with Aoi-chan today, though. By playing sports, I guess." She makes a face at the thought.

"You don't like sports, Maizono-san?" Mikan asks. She can't say she's a fan herself.

"It's not that I don't like sports -- I love volleyball, for example! But playing sports with Aoi-chan is a good way to make you feel bad about your fitness and your skills." Maizono explains. "Something tells me Mukuro-san would make me look bad in comparison too."

"I-I'm really unathletic, so I would do even worse than you..." Mikan assures her, or at least tries to.

"Hey, it's not a big deal." Maizono says, her cheerful self-deprecation making way for a more gentle tone. "Aoi-chan can be clueless, but she's not _totally_ unreasonable. If you or me were bad at something, she'd tone down her skills to our level to make it fun for us. Mukuro-san would do the same." As if she could read Mikan's thoughts, she adds: "It wouldn't be like during P.E., where everyone would stare at you and you'd feel like you've just committed a crime by being bad at sports. When it's just with a couple of friends, sports can be pretty fun."

"You- you think so?" Mikan asks dubiously. Her experiences with sports consist of being picked almost last every time, falling on her face, and being yelled at.

"Of course! A lot of sports are basically just fun games in the end, right? No need to take them that seriously!" Maizono says. Almost sheepishly, she adds: "Of course, I've never been that bad at sports, so that's easy for me to say."

Maizono does make the prospect of playing some sport together sound like fun... potentially. Mikan still isn't really sure. "Um... I-I'll think about it!" She says.

"No pressure!" Most likely seeing that the topic is making Mikan slightly uncomfortable, Maizono changes the subject. "Anyway, Tsumiki-senpai... can you tell me about that whole thing where Mukuro-san nearly beat someone up for you?!" She asks eagerly.

"U-Um..." Mikan twiddles her thumbs nervously. "But I told you about that already, Maizono-san."

"Over texts, yeah! Hearing it in real life is different!" Maizono argues. Mikan isn't sure if that's a valid argument, but she relents nonetheless.

"I-It was all just a misunderstanding. I'm sure that- that girl didn't bump into me on purpose." Mikan says weakly. "Mukuro-san didn't really believe her, so she threatened her with... um... violence..." She blushes in embarrassment. "Mu-Mukuro-san was mad. I tried to tell her it was fine, but she didn't want to listen. When the girl got scared enough to a-apologize, she- she was satisfied though. Mostly..."

Maizono nods. "Mukuro-san probably said something like..." She suddenly has scowl on her face. In a slightly deeper voice than her own, she says: "'Fine. But if you ever bump into my friend again, I will shoot you in the face'!"

"Maizono-san!" Mikan squeaks, her face reddening even more. "Th-That's not what she said... but um... it was something similiar." There was definitely a threat, at least.

"Sounds like her, yeah." Maizono sips on her juice, after which lets out a dreamy sigh. "It's really cool how protective Mukuro-san is, right? You're so lucky! If she told someone off like that for me, I could die happy."

Mikan feels like her face is on fire. If she's honest with herself, she actually liked when Mukuro threatened that girl on her behalf too. It was... nice to hear that someone cared about her to the extent of even making threats. Hearing Maizono think similarly makes her feel a bit less bad and pathetic about the whole thing. Not that she could ever admit any of this out loud though, which is why she simply says: "Mukuro-san is great..."

"She is! I'm looking forward to the lesson tomorrow! Whenever Mukuro-san teaches something new, I feel like I can take on the world!" Maizono stretches out one of her legs and performs a half-hearted kick into the air while sitting. Lowering her leg, she laughs lightly. "I'm too beat to do more, but you get my point."

"I like the lessons a lot too. Mukuro-san is a good teacher." Mikan agrees with a smile. Those self-defense lessons really make her feel like she isn't a pathetic weakling, even if she probably couldn't perform any of the moves in an actually dangerous situation. It's also nice to just spend time with both Mukuro and Maizono, even if she feels like a third wheel sometimes.

"Do you carry your self-defense keychain with you all the time too?" Maizono asks. "I almost forget sometimes, but then the thought of Mukuro-san frowning at me pops in my head and I remember!"

"Y-Yes, I do." Mikan says. Clutching the black keychain Mukuro gave to her makes her feel safe when she's feeling anxious outside. Not entirely, but it helps a lot.

Maizono nods, seemingly satisfied. "Good. It's important to stay safe!" She takes one last sip from her juice and turns away, putting the empty can on the table. When she looks at Mikan again, there is a big brin on her face. "Tsumiki-senpai, we should play something! Like, what's a sleepover without Truth or Dare? What do you think?"

Right! Truth or Dare. Mikan has read about that during her research. Well, she knew about the game before too, but apparently it's a common game during sleepovers. "A-Aren't there usually more people...?" She asks meekly. Then again, with more people it'd be even more embarrassing.

"I guess! We don't have more people though, so there's nothing we can do about it! It's fun with just two people too, don't worry!" Maizono assures her.

Even though this is probably going to be embarrassing, Mikan doesn't think Maizono would try to outright humiliate her or anything. Maizono will go easy on her, right? "I guess that- that's okay then..." She mumbles, hoping she won't regret it.

"Alright! So, let's start with you. Truth or Dare, Tsumiki-senpai?!"

"Tr-Truth."

"I guess you're not the type to choose Dare right off the bat, huh?" Maizono asks, smirking. "Hmmm. Oh, I got a good question! Have you ever thought of kissing one of your friends or classmates?"

Mikan feels her face go crimson. So much for Maizono going easy on her. "W-Well, um- I-I mean..." She sputters.

"Just kidding! Sorry!" Maizono giggles. "You're too easy to tease, Tsumiki-senpai. We should work on that sometime!"

Mikan sighs in relief. Yes, she supposes Maizono _would_ make that kind of joke. At least she revealed her joke quickly. "Th-That's a mean joke, Maizono-san..."

"Sorry!" Maizono chirps, not sounding very sorry at all. "As for the real question... which classmate of yours do you think is the most pretty?"

"Th-That's still an embarrassing question!" Mikan protests. Sure, Maizono and her have talked about girls before, but those talks usually have been either about celebrities or just girls in general and not about their classmates.

"Truth or Dare is supposed to be kinda embarrassing!" Maizono argues. Smiling slyly, she asks: "Could it be you don't think anyone in your class is pretty?"

"That's not- not it! Nanami-san and Sonia-san are very pretty! Mioda-san, too! Koizumi-san, Owari-san, and Pekoyama-san as well!" Mikan blurts out.

Maizono laughs. "Geez, I'm pretty sure that's every girl in your class! Wait, I feel one is missing..."

Mikan grimaces. "U-Um, I don't want to insult Saionji-san, but she looks... like she's twelve years old..."

Maizono laughs, harder than before. "That's cold, Tsumiki-senpai! But you're right!"

"She- she's having a growth spurt lately though!" Mikan says, feeling she's being unfair towards her small classmate. Although on second thought, she's probably being more than fair. Well, maybe if Saionji gets a bit taller, she'll lose some of that malice along the way too.

"I'd say good for her, but Mukuro-san told me that girl is a total brat." Maizono tilts her head. "Hey, wait. You haven't answered the question! Which classmate of yours is the prettiest? Tell!"

"U-Um... if I have no choice... I pick Nanami-san!" Mikan squeaks, covering her face with her hands. While her entire face feels like it's on fire, she tries to explain herself. "She's just- just so cute! I like how messy her hair looks in the morning sometimes and when she y-yawns... that's such a c-cute noise... she has such a pretty face and- and looks so cute when she pouts and plays video games!" Wait, what is she doing?! Her attempt to explain herself is even more embarrassing than it would have been just to say the name!

"Aww, Tsumiki-senpai... I'm sure she'd be super flattered if she heard you say all of that!" Maizono sounds like she's absolutely delighted. "How could she not be? Anyone would be happy if a great girl like you complimented them!"

Mikan peeks out from inbetween her fingers. "Gr-Great girl?" She mumbles, the words coming out muffled due to her palms covering her mouth. She lowers them slowly.

"Yeah, you are! And I'm a celebrity, so you know my word is law. What, you think Maizono Sayaka would hang out with you if you weren't great?" Maizono scoffs, rolling her eyes. " _Please_."

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have questioned you!" Mikan wails.

"I'm just kidding!" Maizono clarifies, giggling nervously. "Aw geez, I'm not that arrogant. I should probably stop it with the jokes, sorry!"

Relief floods Mikan. "No, I-I'm sorry! I should learn- learn how to understand jokes better..." She murmurs. It's not Maizono's fault she overreacts to everything.

"Well, that's easier said than done! I don't have a problem with being a bit more serious, don't worry!" Maizono assures her. "Let's just agree I'll tone the jokes down, not stop them entirely! Okay?" Mikan nods slowly. "Okay! It's my turn, by the way!"

"R-Right! Truth or Dare, Maizono-san?"

Smiling, Maizono raises her head as if she's about to make an important announcement. "Dare!" She says boldly.

Mikan blinks. A dare... what is she supposed to suggest here? "Um... I dare you to... to..." She wildly looks around, trying to spot anything she can use for this. She doesn't see anything. "Um..." She closes her eyes, desperately trying to think of something before the silence consumes her, Maizono, and the entire room. "I d-dare you to make a handstand!" She blurts out, instantly chiding herself for her lack of creativity after thinking for what must have been at least five minutes. "I'm sorry for taking so- so long to think of something!" Wait, didn't Maizono tell her she's exhausted? Ugh, she's messed up again! She shouldn't have demanded anything physical! Before she can take her dare back though, she's interrupted.

"It's been maybe ten seconds, Tsumiki-senpai! It's fine!" Maizono says. "A handstand, huh? Are you sure you're not just- no, sorry! I won't finish that sentence. One handstand, coming up!" She laughs and gets up from the couch, leaving a slightly confused Mikan behind.

Maizono stretches, throwing her hands up into the air afterwards theatrically. With a long step forward, she bends over and performs a handstand with a grace that Mikan can only dream of. She stays like that for a couple of seconds, her legs staying utterly straight and barely trembling.

Mikan desperately hopes that gravity will have mercy on her and leave Maizono's shirt be. She really doesn't want to see Maizono's bare stomach or anything else... even if a part of her vehemently disagrees. _'She's my best friend's crush, she's my best friend's crush, she's my best friend's crush!'_ She reminds herself over and over.

With one fluid movement, Maizono is on her feet again and squashes Mikan's thoughts. "Not bad, huh?" She asks, beaming.

"It- it was great! Great job, Maizono-san!" Mikan praises, clapping a few times before getting self-conscious and stopping. She still needs to apologize for her insensitivity. "I'm s-sorry for making you do a handstand. You said you're exhausted..."

"It's fine! One handstand isn't that bad." Maizono dismisses. "Your turn again! Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Mikan responds, slightly apologetic. She's probably being a spoilsport, but choosing Dare would just be too risky. If Maizono asked her to a handstand for example, there's no way she wouldn't embarrass herself.

"Do you have a crush on someone?" Maizono asks eagerly, as if she'd been waiting for this moment.

Mikan's cheeks grow warm. Why do all of Maizono's questions have to be about pretty girls?! "Um..."

"Is it Nanami-senpai?!"

Mikan sputters. "Wh-What?! I- um... ehehe." She forces a giggle. "What- what m-makes you think th-that?"

"Well, you've expressed your... admiration for her cuteness just earlier, so I thought maybe you had a crush on her!" Maizono explains. "Also, your reaction just now was pretty suspicious!"

Mikan squeaks, horrified. Is she really that unsubtle?! "I... um... N-Nanami-san is really cute... I might have- have a t-tiny crush on her..." She admits.

"I knew it!" Maizono cheers, grinning. "You ever plan on doing something about it?! We could make plans! I already have a name: Operation Nanamiki! Or... wait, how about Operation Tsunami? Aoi-chan would like that one!"

"Pl-Please don't involve Asahina-san!" Mikan begs. The Ultimate Swimmer, as nice as she is, doesn't seem to be a very discrete person. Wait, she isn't even focusing on the worst part! "And please just- just no operation either!"

Maizono pouts. "Aw, are you sure? Well, I guess we don't even know if Nanami-senpai likes girls to begin with. Sometimes I forget not every girl likes other girls! That's weird, isn't it?"

"N-No, I forget too sometimes." Mikan says. "I-I don't know why a girl would only want to date boys..." She mumbles, more to herself than to Maizono. "It- it sounds bad."

"Hey, now! As a bisexual girl, I feel I have to defend the honor of dateable boys everywhere!" Maizono declares. There is a small pause, before she bursts out laughing. "Just kidding! Boys suck!"

Mikan giggles. "They- they really do..." She feels kind of mean for saying that, but it's true.

"Okay, okay! Enough about boys. What self-respecting girl would wanna talk about boys during a sleepover?" Maizono rolls her eyes in an exaggerated manner. "Now, girls on the other hand..." Her face lights up. "Let's talk about girls! I love girls!"

"Girls are- are great!" Mikan exclaims. "Both boys and girls used to bully me a lot, b-but the boys were worse... a-and at least there were girls who were nice sometimes..."

Maizono frowns. "I hope no one's bullying you anymore, Tsumiki-senpai? If they do, tell me who it is. I'll take care of it, promise!"

"Ah, no! That's not- not necessary, Maizono-san!" Mikan twiddles her thumbs bashfully. She shouldn't have brought the bullying thing up at all. "Th-There was some- someone who was bullying me, but Mukuro-san made them stop..."

"Mukuro-san did?" Maizono smiles at that. "That's good! You can come to me too if you have any problems with that kinda thing, alright?"

"I wouldn't want to be a bother..." Mikan protests. She shifts uncomfortably, upset with herself for having ruined the mood, for making everything about herself and her stupid problems.

"You're not a bother at all." Maizono tells her firmly. "Friends stand up for each other, right? I'm your friend, so it's only natural that I'm looking out for you."

Mikan stares down at her lap, her cheeks coloring. Maizono's voice sounded really intense just now. "You- you're really too kind to me, Maizono-san..." She mumbles, all of a sudden feeling self-conscious. Is her friend coddling her right now? When her mother said it's patronizing to be coddled so much earlier, was she right? Are her friends giving her special treatment? Is she too sensitive? "Do you..." She looks up slowly. "Do you think I'm... too sensitive?

"I don't think you are!" Maizono answers. She frowns. "I mean, you are sensitive, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Sensitive people tend to treat others with more care, so that's a good thing!"

"My- my mother thinks... you all coddle me too much. And- and that the r-real world won't be as kind to me..." Mikan mumbles. "I-I think you're all very nice and I-I'm really grateful that you're like this, but..." She trails off helplessly.

"I don't think it's bad to be around people who are... too nice to you, I guess? It's weird to put it like that." Maizono murmurs. She blinks. "Uh, sorry! Your mother is right that the real world isn't very nice, but I don't think it would really make a difference if we all treated you less kindly. I'd rather treat someone too well instead of not well enough, you know?"

Mikan nods. She feels something painful in her chest, but doesn't know why. "I-I guess so. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have- have brought up my mother..."

"It's fine." Maizono says. "I'm sure she was just trying to look out for you in her own way!"

"N-No!" Mikan protests. "She just- just doesn't like you! She- she thought you were going to be mean, but you're really nice and-" She almost bites down on her tongue. What is she doing?! "W-Wait, I mean... um..."

"It's fine!" Maizono repeats.  She gives a short laugh, but it sounds more than a little awkward. "Your mother just wants you to be safe. Being careful isn't bad, is it?"

Something about the way Maizono is defending her mother... it makes Mikan extremely uncomfortable. "No!" She exclaims, shutting her eyes tightly. "She said a lot of awful things about you, even though she doesn't even know you! She c-called you a slut! She- she had no right to do that! A-And I doubted you too, even though you never did anything wrong! J-Just because some- some other girls bullied me in the past! B-But you don't deserve anyone thinking like that, be-because you're really nice and amazing! I'm really sorry for doubting you, M-Maizono-san!" 

An oppressive silence lingers after her rant. Mikan keeps shutting her eyes tightly, sweat gathering on her forehead. Maizono doesn't say anything.

Mikan swallows. She starts pulling at her hair, still not brave enough to open her eyes. She's just completely ruined this sleepover, hasn't she? Just because she got too emotional. "I-I'm sorry!" She shrieks. "I shouldn't have said any- any of that! I-I should leave! I'm j-just a stupid, ugly, trashy-" She squeaks when she feels Maizono grab both of her wrists. She opens her eyes and finds herself looking into Maizono's blue eyes.

"I'm not mad, Tsumiki-senpai," Maizono says in a calm voice. "I don't want you to leave. Breathe evenly, okay?" Mikan does. She takes quick, shallow breaths while the grip on her wrists softens and Maizono instead moves to gently squeeze her hands.

It works wonders. Slowly and steadily, Mikan calms down from her panic. She blushes when she looks down and sees their hands intertwined. "Maizono-san, you- you can let go now..."

"Ah, sorry!" Maizono pulls her hands back, smiling apologetically. "I hope it helped." 

"It- it did. Thank you..." Mikan mumbles, suppressing a sniffle. "I'm s-sorry for-"

"Don't apologize." Maizono interrupts. "It's okay to lose your composure sometimes. I'm glad I helped." She flashes a radiant smile that could easily make Mikan fall in love with her if she didn't know about the whole situation with Mukuro. Even knowing about the situation, it's hard not to stare too much.

Mikan blinks, fighting down yet another blush. She should probably say something. "Th-Thank you..." She rasps.

"Do you just wanna move on?" Maizono asks.

"P-Please."

"Alright! So... I didn't really answer your question from before, did I? The stuff about whether the others and me are coddling you?" After some hesitation, Mikan nods. "To be honest, I don't know if any of us are coddling you or anything, but I don't want to be less nice to you. You deserve it!" Maizono winks at Mikan. "Also if the real world isn't as nice, isn't that the real world's fault? People who say stuff like 'that's how the real world works' or something annoy me." She scowls, crossing her arms. "Like? Then do something productive to make it less bad instead of lecturing me about it! Geez."

"Th-That's really thoughtful, Maizono-san..." Mikan mumbles. She's not really convinced, but Maizono made a better case than she thought she might.

"Well, I've had a lot of time to think about this stuff. I- uh..." Maizono grimaces. "Sorry. I'm not sure I should dump this on you, Tsumiki-senpai. I don't want to make this about myself."

"I'm not sure wh-what you were going to say, but you can tell me..." Mikan says. "You listened to me, too." It's the _least_ she can do to repay Maizono's kindness.

"I used to be a- well, I wasn't really a bully, but I was friends with a lot of them." Maizono mutters. "I was the most popular girl in junior high school, so I always had a lot of other girls around me. Most of them were alright, but some were pretty cruel. Almost stereotypically cruel, in some cases. Bullying other girls they thought were ugly or weird, dumping milk over their hair and writing mean things on their lockers... things like that, you know?" Mikan mutters assentment. She's met her fair share of those. "I was aware that some of my 'friends' were doing those things. I just didn't do anything about it. I didn't want to lose any of them, even if they were awful. I was just happy to be the most popular girl in school."

"It- it's not easy to stand up to people." Mikan comments. If she had been in Maizono's situation, there is no way she would have been brave enough to stand up to anyone. Knowing that, how can she condemn her for it?

"That wasn't it." Maizono says. "I knew most other girls would've backed me up, if only because of how popular I was. The bullies probably would have remained my 'friends'. I'm pretty sure they wanted to live off my popularity more than they wanted to torment other girls. It's just that I didn't want to risk even one person not liking me anymore. I used to be obsessed with being loved by everyone."

"Is that so bad...?"

"It is if it takes priority over everything else. Once you think of how to word something in the most inoffensive, neutral way possible when someone asks you a simple question, because you're worried that you could alienate someone if you gave your honest opinion... well, then you've gone too far." Maizono smiles sardonically. "And honestly, being unfailingly nice literally _all_ of the time is just exhausting."

"B-But you're still nice all of the time." Mikan points out.

Maizono giggles. "True, but not quite in the way I used to be. It's hard to explain, but let's just say I'm more... _casually_ nice now. Do you know what I mean?"

"Um... no."

"Yeah, I figured! It's not really important, I guess. Anyway." The word comes out like a sigh. "What I'm trying to say is I was only kind to people for selfish reasons. I used to be an extremely self-centered person, even if I was almost never mean to anyone. I think there's a saying that goes: 'Inaction is action'. Do you know what I mean?"

"I... think so." Mikan gives her friend a sympathetic look. "Maizono-san... I think you're being too hard on yourself. M-Maybe you should have done more, but it wasn't your fault those girls b-bullied others..."

Maizono smiles, but it doesn't look very genuine. "It's nice of you to say that, Tsumiki-senpai. It wasn't just that, though. I was also outright awful to a few certain people. I don't want to get into it, but it was really bad."

Mikan hesitates, unsure of what to say. "I... um..." She begins uncertainly. "I don't know what you d-did, but you've been really- really kind to me... you're really kind in general, Maizono-san. If you were as b-bad as you say, you're making up for it now. I think..."

"Should you be that easy on me, Tsumiki-senpai?" Maizono asks, glancing aside. "I'm sorry if this sounds bad, but you would be one of those girls my 'friends' would have bullied and I would've done nothing to stop it."

"B-But you would stop them now, right...?" Maizono nods without hesitation, her lips pressed together. "Then... that's good enough for me, I think." Mikan tells her friend with a smile.

Maizono doesn't return the smile, but as she turns her face back to Mikan her features soften. "You're a good person, Tsumiki-senpai," she says quietly. "I'm glad we've become friends."

Mikan blushes. That was... rather blunt. Still, she needs to reply. "Me too!" She agrees eagerly, hoping she isn't sounding too squeaky.

"I hope Mukuro-san will be as understanding as you when I tell her." Maizono murmurs.

Mikan smiles. That's one thing she can answer with absolute certainty. "I'm sure she will! Mukuro-san is a really kind, understanding person. There is no way she will be mad at you!"

"Geez, Tsumiki-senpai." Maizono looks at her with open surprise. "Where did all that fire come from? You have a lot of faith in Mukuro-san, huh?"

"W-Well..." Mikan begins. "Mukuro-san is a great person, so I think she will see that you're a great person too and then you can be together-!" She slaps her hands over her mouth, her eyes widening.

Maizono's face reddens. "Wh-What- you... oh geez." She attempts something that looks like a smile, but looks more like she's tasted something sour. "I guess it's kind of obvious, huh?"

"I-I'm sorry! I-"

"No, no!" Maizono cuts her off, raising both of her hands in an allaying manner. "It's fine. In all honesty, I'm almost kinda relieved that someone knows." She tilts her head curiously. "Does Mukuro-san know that you know?"

Mikan twiddles her thumbs. She hopes Maizono won't be annoyed with her. "I think- I think so... I implied it one time and I think she- she caught o-on."

Maizono sighs. "Aoi-chan and Naegi-kun probably know too. We really aren't very subtle about it, are we?"

"... No." Mikan admits apologetically. "B-But I don't think anyone else knows. It's only really obvious during lunch break and s-self-defense lessons sometimes..."

"That's a relief, I guess." Maizono mutters. She makes a face. "Okay, so... let's forget about this for now, okay? I don't think I'm up for this conversation yet."

"Th-That's okay!" Mikan assures her. "I just- um... I want to say... good luck! I wish you both all the best!" She squeals.

A small smile forms on Maizono's face. "Thank you, Tsumiki-senpai."

"You're welcome, Mai-Maizono-san."

"I think you can call me 'Sayaka' now." Maizono suggests. "After everything we've just talked about, it seems more appropriate."

"Th-Then... you can call me by my first name too." Mikan retorts.

"Alright, Mikan-san! Let's stop being depressing and do what we should have done five minutes ago!" Sayaka chirps.

"O-Okay, Sayaka-san!" Mikan agrees enthusiastically. "... Um, what do you mean?"

In an impressive display of flexibility, Sayaka bends over her couch's backrest. When she sits back down, there's a plastic bag in her hands. She spills its contents between them on the couch, revealing a lot of different candy and snacks. "I know you're a nurse and like to stay healthy," Sayaka says. "But I think it's okay to let loose and just eat a bunch of junk food sometimes!"

"Is- is that a sleepover thing?" Mikan asks, staring down at the unhealthy yet appealing food in front of them. If it's just one night... not to mention, Sayaka clearly wants her to partake too. How could she refuse?

"What, shovelling garbage in your mouth? You betcha! That's just what you do when it's girls' night out! Or girls' night in! Let's watch a movie together while we do that though! I just need to connect my laptop to the TV, easy peasy." Sayaka leans forward, her eyes almost sparkling. "What do you wanna watch? Comedy, romance... a romantic comedy? Or maybe some dumb action flick?"

"How about... um... if you don't mind... how about a horror movie?" Mikan suggests There is a great one she's been meaning to watch. It would be fun to watch it with another person.

"Horror, huh? I hope it's not too scary! I'm kind of a wimp." Maizono laughs.

Mikan giggles. "It didn't look that scary to me when I saw the trailer... I'm sure it will be fine."

About thirty minutes later, Mikan has started to regret her choice of movie. Not because it's too scary -- she's rarely ever watched something too scary for her -- but rather because it's hard to breathe when a girl as pretty as Maizono Sayaka presses herself against her. Well, she supposes that means the movie clearly _is_ too scary. For Sayaka.

She's distracted from her current woes when one of the bully characters gets slaughtered gruesomely by the killer. She loves when that happens and can't help but smile, although it unfortunately causes Sayaka to shriek, press her face against Mikan's body, and squeeze her so tightly that the latter feels like every little bit of air has left her body. It doesn't help that Sayaka's face is pretty close to her chest.

"M-Maybe... we- we should change the movie?" Mikan chokes out.

"No way!" Sayaka raises her head to pout at her. "This is fun!"

"B-But you're scared!"

"Yeah! It's fun to be scared!"

"If- if you say so..." Mikan mumbles dubiously.

Someone in the movie screams all of a sudden, causing Sayaka to yelp too. She's practically in Mikan's lap at this point.

It doesn't get much better after this. By the time the movie ends, Mikan feels so rigid that she could be mistaken for a statue. She calms down a little when Sayaka has to go to the bathroom. It wasn't _entirely_ terrible, really. The movie was pretty good when she managed to focus.

After Sayaka returns, she demands they watch a cheesy romance movie next. Mikan doesn't object. As soon as it starts though, Mikan realizes the movie is going to be awful. Sayaka thinks so too, but she seems to find it more funny than anything else.

Still, it's a lot more pleasant to watch this movie than the other one, seeing as Sayaka isn't crawling all over her this time. Mikan slowly manages to relax, and even giggles along Sayaka at the more silly scenes.

"That was so dumb." Sayaka says afterwards, still laughing.

"It was." Mikan agrees. She giggles. "When the boy said how he loves that she ties her shoelaces like her own person and not like other girls... what did- what did that even mean?"

"Who even knows!" Sayaka stops laughing, but she's still grinning. "You know what I wanna do now? I wanna comb your hair, Mikan-san!"

Self-conscious, Mikan touches that mess on her head that's supposed to be her hair. "Um... are you sure? My hair looks awful. It's so un-uneven and choppy..."

"I think that kinda adds to its charm!" Sayaka says, already holding a comb in her hand. Wait, when did that comb get there? "Either way, I just like combing a girl's hair. It's, like, female bonding! Sorta. Maybe."

"Um... o-okay!" Mikan agrees, turning around when a smiling Sayaka motions at her to do so. It's kind of tempting, if she's honest. Except for her mother, no one has ever combed her hair before. It sounds... nice. Especially when a pretty girl like Sayaka wants to do it.

When she feels the comb going through her hair for the first time, Mikan suppresses a sigh and closes her eyes. It does feel nice. Nicer than when her mother does it, that's for sure.

She opens her eyes again, a feeling of shame coming over her. "S-Sayaka-san?" She asks.

Sayaka doesn't stop combing. "Yes?"

"I know I brought it up earlier, and I know- I know we changed the subject because you didn't want to make me uncomfortable... but I think I should just tell you that before... before I came here, I was worrying over some stupid th-things... like that you might be playing a prank on me. Or- or that you w-would be mean in some way... a-and that we weren't really friends..." Mikan murmurs. "I'm really- really sorry. I just thought I should tell you... um... officially, I guess."

The comb stops for a moment. "Mikan-san," Sayaka says gently. "You were just thinking about your own safety. That's perfectly fine. I don't want you to feel unsafe or uncomfortable around me, so if I ever make you feel that way you can tell me. Okay?"

Mikan nods. "Y-Yes... um... d-during the-" She nearly bites down on her tongue, wincing. It really wasn't a big deal.

"Please, tell me." Sayaka requests, and something in her tone gives Mikan the courage to tell her.

"D-During the horror movie, you were t-touching me a lot and I- and I felt... un-uncomfortable... I'm sorry..." She forces out.

"I'm... sorry, Mikan-san. I knew you were shy, but I guess I was too scared to really think about it at the time." Sayaka mutters. "It won't happen again! From now on, I'll ask for your permission first when I want to give you a hug or something like that. Okay?"

"O-Okay!" Mikan answers, relieved. This didn't go nearly as badly as it could have gone.

"Can I give you a hug? To apologize?"

"You- you don't have to do apologize like th-that!"

"Then... can I hug you just because?" Mikan can practically hear the smile on Sayaka's face.

Blushing fiercely, Mikan nods. She narrowly suppresses a squeak when Sayaka wraps her arms around her from behind and squeezes gently. Although her hands feel shaky, she manages to put them over Sayaka's and squeeze back. It's a very weak squeeze and Mikan feels her face is going to burst into flames, but at least she returned the hug. Kind of.

It's now that she realizes that -- some awkward moments aside -- she hasn't had much trouble talking to Sayaka at all. The revelation doesn't even surprise her, oddly enough. Sayaka has just been so kind and encouraging that talking to her feels completely natural. It's... kind of a boost to her confidence, if Mikan is honest with herself. 

She can't believe she was lucky enough to make such great friends. No matter what her mother says, no matter what Sayaka says about herself... she is an amazing person. Just like Mukuro. They really would make a nice couple now that she thinks about it, wouldn't they? They're both so kind and understanding, in such different ways.

It was Mukuro who introduced Sayaka to her, now that she thinks about it. Which caused her to get to know Asahina and Naegi. She became friends with Komaeda because of Mukuro too. Who would have thought that awkward conversation a few weeks back would have such a great impact on her life?

When Sayaka resumes combing her hair, Mikan's lips form a smile. Although Mukuro isn't here right now, she can't help but think her next thought like she is adressing her best friend directly.

_'I'm really glad I've met you, Mukuro-san.'_

* * *

 


End file.
